Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Behind two goals and an assist from rookie center Rebecca Vint, the Robert Morris University women's hockey team defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 5-1, in the 4th Annual Pack the House Night at the Houston Field House.  With the win, the Colonials move to 4-1-0, while the Engineers slip to 2-3-2.
 
Despite showing a dominant effort to open the first period, the homestanding Engineers quickly found themselves facing a 2-0 deficit as Vint (Caledon, ON/Brampton Jr. Thunder) scored back-to-back. 
 
Her first tally came at the 6:12 mark as senior Brianna Delaney (Stittsville, ON/NCCP Raiders) won the faceoff in the right circle and sent it back to sophomore Thea Imbrogno (Etobicoke, ON/Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) at the near point.  Imbrogno then skated into the mid-slot to find Vint at the far circle, who rifled it past RPI netminder Kelly O'Brien (Madison, WI/Madison Capitals) on the power play.
 
Vint made it 2-0 less than two minutes later – again on the extra-man advantage - as she corralled a mid-slot pass from Imbrogno and skated toward the left post.  Sending a quick shot toward goal, the puck slid under O'Brien and trickled over the goal line. 
 
The visitors added to their advantage to open the second stanza as senior blueliner Paige Pietrangelo (Niagara Falls, ON/Hamilton Hawks) fired a shot from the top of the near circle over the shoulder of O'Brien just 2:07 into the frame.
 
Rensselaer battled back and finally lit the lamp at 8:19 as sophomore defender Madison Marzario (Prior Lake, MN/Shattuck-St. Mary's) netted her first of the season off a bullet shot from the right point that slid under the Colonials netminder.  Junior Andie Le Donne (Toronto, ON/Durham Jr. Lightning) earned the primary assist after she slid the pass to Marzario from the far side. 
 
Despite holding a 23-12 advantage in shots after two periods of play, Rensselaer was unable to hold off the Robert Morris offense in the final stanza as the visitors netted two more goals for a 5-1 lead.
 
Attempting to clear it in their own zone, the Engineers couldn't clear it enough as Vint picked up the puck and sent it across the slot to Kelsey Thomas (Hamilton, ON/Hamilton Hawks).  The junior right winger caught O'Brien out of position and fired it into the open net at 6:31 for the team's third power play goal of the game.
 
Imbrogno, who also had two assists on the night, added an empty-net tally at 19:14 to seal the victory for the Colonials.
 
In goal, junior Kristen DiCiocco (Niagara Falls, ON/Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres) stopped 31 of the 32 shots she faced on the night.  O'Brien made 11 saves in the loss for RPI.
 
The same teams will face one another on Saturday as they meet at 4pm at the Houston Field House.